A standing room-only crowd gathered in the Pentagon auditorium for the memorial ceremony, which was marked with tears but also laughter as Greene was remembered for his sharp wit, his love of the Boston Red Sox and his outsized personality.

Greene was killed Aug. 5 in an insider attack in Kabul. He will be laid to rest Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery.

The death is "an exceptionally painful loss for the Greene family and the Army family," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said.

"We can never repay those who raised their right hands and gave their lives to our country," he said. "What I'll always remember about Harry is he was a true patriot and the epitome of what we expect of our senior leaders."

Greene was the deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, which is primarily responsible for training and advising the Afghan National Security Forces.

Greene was committed to his work and passionate about providing soldiers with the best possible gear and protection, Odierno said.

"His dedication and work saved countless lives," he said. "I believe he had a rare combination of intellect, passion and the warrior ethos."

Greene also possessed a "truly gregarious" personality, and he was a "gifted mentor," said Heidi Shyu, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.

Col. Ken Rodgers, Greene's chief of staff in Afghanistan, agreed.

"I am one of hundreds of officers that he mentored and made a big impact on," Rodgers said.

Greene often walked the offices and hallways where he worked, and he knew everyone by name, said Rodgers, who first met Greene in 1996 and has worked with him five times since then.

"If he made eye contact with someone, he'd talk to them," Rodgers said.

Rodgers did not go with Greene on the Aug. 5 visit to The Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul. When news of the attack, which also left 15 troops wounded, got back to the headquarters, Rodgers said he was in shock.

"Your very initial response is, 'This can't be true,' but, of course, it was," he said. "It was just extremely difficult. I'm still getting my head around it."

Greene, 55, was born in Boston and commissioned at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an engineer officer in 1980. He held a doctorate in materials science, master's degrees in engineering and a master's in strategic studies.

Greene is survived by his wife, retired Col. Susan Myers, his daughter, Amelia, his son 1st Lt. Matthew Greene, his daughter-in-law, Kasandra, and his father, Harold Greene.